Insurance and the deposit: what is covered and what comes out of your pocket
Updated 10 August 2026
"Insured" does not mean the same thing to everyone. A car rental involves three separate things that get muddled together: the compulsory insurance, the extra cover you buy, and the deposit. It pays to separate them early, because the difference only shows up on the day the car gets scratched.
TPL: compulsory and limited
Every car on the road in Albania must carry compulsory third-party insurance (TPL), and it is always inside the price — it is not something you buy separately. But TPL covers the damage you do to a third party: the other car, someone's property, people. It does not cover the car you rented at all.
Partial and full cover
For the car itself you buy extra cover, sold locally as kasko, minikasko or simply "full insurance". The higher the tier, the less is left sitting on you. On AutoShqip the tiers each car offers are shown with their daily price, so you can see what peace of mind costs before you book.
The excess: the number to read first
The excess is the slice of any damage you pay before the insurance starts. Cover with a 500 euro excess means a 300 euro scratch is entirely yours. "Full insurance" therefore does not mean "nothing out of pocket" — always ask what the excess is, not just whether there is insurance.
The deposit
The deposit — kapar, as it is called here — is the sum you leave with the owner and get back when the car comes back as it left. It is not a payment and not a fee: it is a guarantee. On AutoShqip it is shown on every car, you can filter by it, and there is no credit card hold — it is settled directly with the owner.
What is usually not covered
- Tyres, glass and the underside of the car — precisely what a bad road reaches first
- Damage taken off asphalt, where the owner did not permit leaving the road
- The wrong fuel in the tank
- Lost keys or documents
- Anything that happens with alcohol involved — this voids even the fullest cover
If there is an accident
- Call the police and wait for the report. Without it the insurance has nothing to work from.
- Do not move the car before they arrive unless it is blocking traffic.
- Photograph the positions of the cars, the damage close up and wide, and the plates of everyone involved.
- Message the owner from the scene through AutoShqip, so the conversation stays in writing.
The most valuable ten minutes of any rental are the ones at handover. Take a video walking around the car with the owner there, open the boot too, and photograph the fuel gauge and the odometer. When the deposit comes up, that video settles the conversation without a word.
Frequently asked questions
Does my credit card insurance cover this?
Often yes, but only if the rental was paid on that card and within its conditions. In a rental where the main payment is cash to the owner, that cover usually does not trigger. Read the terms before relying on it.
When do I get the deposit back?
At drop-off, as soon as the owner has looked the car over. If there is damage, only the part that matches it is held back and the rest is returned.
Do I need a police report for a small scratch?
For minor damage between the two of you, you can settle it with the owner. For anything involving another car or a third party the report is essential — without it the insurance does not pay.